Last Modified: Wednesday, February 20, 2013 at 8:20 p.m.

Clarke Poole and his dog, Bullet, enjoy the mild weather outside Monday on the grounds of Four Seasons Hospice in Flat Rock.

Patrick Sullivan/Times-News

Facts

Want to go?

What: Pet Bereavement Support Group meetingsWhen: 7-8 p.m., first and third Thursdays of every month (first meeting is March 7)Where: Grace Lutheran Church, Educational Building, room 221Cost: Free

As a therapist, Clarke Poole counseled many people during his career, including those experiencing grief following the death of a loved one. The retired Georgia transplant continued his love of helping people through volunteer work with Four Seasons, often with his dog, Bullet.

After a period of mentally bouncing the idea around, Poole approached Four Seasons about creating a support group for people grieving the loss of a pet.

When he received an enthusiastic yes to his proposal, the 70-year-old said he wasted no time creating the Pet Bereavement Support Group.

“When I got together with the people at the Bereavement Center, it (grief counseling) seemed to already be what Four Seasons was doing, so this (support group) was a natural extension of that,” Poole said. “I see this as helping people recover from a very significant loss in their life, and also helping those who are having to make a difficult decision about euthanizing a pet, and people in the position of trying to decide if they even want to get another pet. People usually don't know how to handle it, and it's hard.”

Many people are reluctant to even talk about a pet's death, or openly grieve, fearing that they will be seen as overly emotional about the loss, said Mark Neville, coordinator of bereavement services with Four Seasons.

But the sense of loss can be just as strong, especially in the case of a young child losing a pet through death or the loss of a pet by someone whose primary companion was their dog, cat or some other animal, he said.

“People who lose a pet are sometimes conflicted in a way that they are not with the loss of a person, because the death of a pet can sometimes be seen as not being that important because it was ‘just an animal,'” he said. “It's how significant that animal was to them that plays a role in their grief. This (support group) validates the loss.”

Neville believes the group is the first of its kind in Henderson County. The group is being welcomed as a resource among area veterinarians needing a place to refer broken-hearted pet owners.

Poole said he has been pleasantly surprised that several people have already contacted him about the support group, although the first meeting isn't until 7 p.m. on March 7 in room 221 of Grace Lutheran Church's Educational Building.

“I think people can see a need for it,” he said. “I appreciate Four Seasons being a partner in this and I hope people will participate because this support group is there to help them.”

There is no charge to attend the meetings, which will be held the first and third Thursdays of every month.

For more information, contact Poole at 828-458-9391.

Reach Kelley at 828-694-7871 or leigh.kelley@blueridgenow.com.

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